A Principle of Nature
by pojaivilo
Summary: The Once-Ler is told that the animals in truffula valley have entered mating season and are a bit... "twitterpated".  He begins to think about his own love life, and how a lovely lady might be the missing piece to his... "quickly" growing business.
1. Chapter 1

**AC: **Hey everybody! I hope you enjoy this - this first chapter is a wee bit slow, but I hope you like it :)

"Bless your soul, you've got your head in the clouds." Adele, _Rumor Has It_

_**Chapter One**_

The Once-Ler always especially loved the Spring time. The truffula trees smelled especially of butterfly milk, the grass glistened greener, and the sky was blue-er than the blue-est blue.

But something seemed different. It was the first Spring The Once-Ler had spent in the Truffula Valley, and the animals were acting... strange. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but they all had transfixed expressions on one another. Pipsqueak the bar-ba-loot paid less attention to his marshmallows and more attention to the little girl bar-ba-loot close by.

Had he been missing something? They were the same marshmallows, after all.

"Moustache," he began to the Lorax one sunny day, "Do you have any idea why the animals are acting all funny?"

He stifled a laugh. "Ever live in the wilderness, or even around animals, Beanpole?"

"Only Melvin," he motioned to his donkey eating grass in the distance.

"Well, around this time each year, we enter a new phase." The Lorax scooted closer to the Once-Ler, making him a tad uncomfortable. "We enter the _Mating Season_."

The Once-Ler chuckled. "So, you mean the animals _get it on_?" He shook his shoulders up and down.

The Lorax gave him an odd look. "What do you mean by that beanpole?"

"I mean, do they..." Once-Ler thought a moment. How should he word this? "Is this the time they have baby bar-ba-loots?"

"Absolutely! Look at Pipsqueak there!" Pip was picking little truffula flowers next to the lake. His view kept peering over to the girl bar-ba-loot. The Once-Ler grinned.

"'Course," The Lorax continued, "the youngins like him just find a mate, but don't do any of the... _'getting it on'_ you seem to want to know so much about."

The Once-Ler's fingers drifted along the neck of his guitar, along with his gaze. "Do you... do you ever get lonely?"

"Why should I? I have all of these great animal friends, the trees, and the blue sky!"

"No no, I mean, is there a Mrs. Lorax?"

"Beanpole, I'm one of a kind! I speak for the trees, not for my love life!" He hopped off of the tree stump he was seated upon. "But if you're more interested in getting a girl to strum your guitar, rather than your business, that would be fine by me. It would leave the trees, and maybe you, in harmony."

"I don't need a woman!" The Once-Ler tipped his hat back and leaned onto a tree. "Heh, I don't _need_ one... but someone to hold tight at night would be nice." He glanced at the Lorax. "Not that you aren't a _great_ cuddle buddy."

The Lorax began to walk away. "Save it for a pretty lady!"

The Once-Ler smiled. Was he lonely? Sure, the animals and the Lorax were great companions, but someone with long hair and warm eyes would be nice to have around. And let's get real here - his imagination could only take him so far some nights. He got up and adjusted his fedora. "I'm gonna go into the city," he announced to no one in particular. "Gonna go see what's out there."

"More like _who's_ out there!" The Lorax called from a distance.

The Once-Ler flung his hand in his directions and grinned from ear to ear. Before going, he grabbed his thneed - every minute was a different time to make a sell. He wondered who was just waiting for their prince charming. Then he thought, he wasn't exactly the cover-man for "Prince Charming." But, there was bound to be some girl that would go on a date with him.

-ooo-

"Norma! Norma, you should've been there!" A muscular guy in a lettermans jacket took a big gulp of his milk shake. "I swear I threw that football across the entire field!"

"I know - you've told me seven times already." Norma sighed. How was it that she always dated the dummies with nothing in their head except a pretty smile? The jocks always had no purpose, no dreams... no heart. She always wanted to travel the world beside a handsome man and try different things, but as of right now, it seemed as though she was staying right here after graduation with a pretty boy.

"But, Norma, it was so amazing! I mean, shit, Norma. So amazing." He spun around in the bar stool. The two of them went to the bar and grill every day after school and talked about their days, kissed a bit (okay, a lot. Hey, even if he wasn't very intelligent, he had an amazing body), and then Norma would listen to him talk about football for an hour. Usually when she got bored, she'd make up an excuse to slip away.

Norma never understood why he asked her out in the first place - she wasn't exactly a blonde, busty cheerleader guys like him were known for dating; Norma always thought he was dared. The bigger question was, why did she say yes?

"I'm sure it was, Robert." She used everything she had to not roll her eyes.

There was a slam of a door across the room at the entrance; a man as tall as two of her lunged into the checkerboard restaurant. He had raven black hair, and a cute grey fedora which matched his vest and pants. His eyes gleamed and matched the sky outside - and his smile was as bright as the sun. He was a skinny fellow - Robert could easily crack this guy in half. He looked like he was in his twenties; Norma was still in high school (but she kept reminding her mother that her 19th birthday was only days after her graduation) but that didn't stop her from thinking the man was an ice cold, tall - _very tall_ - glass of water. He glanced back and forth across the room and planted his elbows next to the waitress on the other side of the counter.

"Normie? Are you listening to me?" Robert waved his hands in front of her face. "Have you seen that guy around here before or something? He looks like a total fag."

"Takes one to know one," she grumbled.

The strange guy began to talk to the waitress, "So, sweetheart, do you mind giving me a chocolate sunday?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Sure. Whatever." She popped her gum and walked away.

The man slumped down into the chair next to Robert. "She's a cutie, ain't she?"

Robert laughed. "She's a whore, that's what she is."

The guy looked at Norma, as if to ask, _is he for real?_ He swallowed. "So, I'm guessing you guys live here."

Norma smiled. "You guess correctly." She stirred her drink. "You've got a name?"

He shrank at the asking of this question. "Yeah. I do."

"What is it queer?" Robert barked.

"_Uh, The Once-Ler."_

Robert let out an embarrassing laugh. "I was right! He is a fag!"

"Robbie!" Norma slapped the side of his arm. "I think it's adorable!"

"Wow, that's a first," The Once-Ler replied. "Most people think its stupid."

Robert drank his milkshake. "That's because it is."

The Once-Ler received his ice cream. "Thanks, babydoll." He smirked at the waitress. He turned to Norma and smiled like a geek. "I guess I'll see you guys later." He lightly kicked the ground, then looked at his thneed. "I've got something to do." He began to eat his sunday and slid out of the room.

Norma grinned. _What a dork_, she thought. _An adorable dork_.

"Hey, baby, I'll see you tonight, right?" Robert raised his eyebrows.

"Oh, yeah, of course," she said mindlessly.

Robert stuck his tongue into Norma's mouth. "See ya, babe."

Norma sighed. She knew Robert was her man, but The Once-Ler intrigued her in a way nobody had intrigued her before. Why hadn't she seen him before? Where was he from? Did he have a family? Friends? More importantly, A girlfriend? She went outside to go see what exactly it was The Once-Ler had to do.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Thank you for the comment and watches everybody! I appreciate it! :)**

"**When you're alone, life can be a little rough. It makes you feel like you're three feet tall." - **Walter, _The Muppets_

_**Chapter Two**_

_The Once-Ler stared at the horizon. He strummed his guitar up and down, humming along to his own, jumbled up melody. The birds were singing, the sun was setting, and it was the perfect place for an afternoon nap._

_Of course, a tree wasn't always the most comfortable thing to nap in._

_The Once-Ler took out a tupperware box and opened it up. He pulled out a note and read it out loud to himself, "Dear Son, I'm sorry I'm still not back. Hopefully this will make up for it. Dad." He let out a wistful sigh, and reached in. He found a large white glob._

_"What the-"_

_He looked at the letter again, seeing if some clarification was given. He found something scrawled at the bottom. "I don't know if you've ever had one of these. It's a marshmallow. This is a pretty big one, but I feel it's appropriate because you're becoming such a big man. How tall are you now? Haha, but, again son, I just hope you know I believe in you and that you can do anything you dream of. I know your mom can be a little doubtful and hesitant on your thneed idea, but I think its great. Just remember I love you."_

_The Once-Ler smiled from ear to ear. He took another look out at the horizon, and then another at the marshmallow. He scruffled his hair and slapped on his old man's fedora. His family was probably eating dinner now, his two brothers laughing about one of their idiotic games they made up today, their mom laughing along with them. The Once-Ler wished that just once his mom would show interest in what he had to say. She probably wasn't even worried about where he was right now._

_The Once-Ler placed the marshmallow in both of his hands, thought about his dad way off somewhere else, and whispered:_

_"Happy birthday to me."_

_He took a bite of the marshmallow, and his face lit up._

_"THIS IS AMAZING!" His arms flew up into the air, and he let out a hearty laugh. "Thanks, Pop." He tipped his cap to his invisible father._

_He looked down at his baby donkey, Melvin. "Well, Melvin," he started, "since I'm fifteen now, it's about time I started thinking about leaving this place." He waited for the empty response from his pet. "I mean, look at the beautiful world that's in front of me! Unless I leave, it's just gonna stay the same, and no one will know how wonderful my thneed is!"_

_Melvin only stared at him. Even though the Once-Ler was on his own, his imagination and dreams made up for his petty and superficial family members._

_"Just think, Melvin, by this time when I'm an adult, people will be begging me for a thneed! It'll be great."_

"What the fuck is that?" The grown-up Once-Ler heard from across the middle of town.

The Once-Ler straightened himself up and positioned his guitar perfectly on his shoulders. No way he was going to mess this up. Tomorrow was his birthday, and he remembered that promise he made with Melvin years ago. He looked at his "trusty steed" and gave a tip of the hat. He began his song, "_Everybody needs a thneeeeeeeeeeed!_"

He began to get attention from the townsfolk. _Yes, yes this is good._He thought to himself. He continued to play, smiling and interacting with the crowd. After a while though, their faces began to deflate and they walked away. He was getting discouraged, but he didn't lose hope.

Eventually, they returned, but now they had something in their hands.

_God, no._

SPLAT.

"Son of a _bitch_!" The Once-Ler fell to the ground, a tomato stuck in his eye. "_Why would you do that?_" He began to cry softly, making sure nobody heard him. He globbed the tomato out of his eyes and straightened. He heaved a big sigh and rose. "Okay, here it goes," he looked up to begin playing his song again, but everyone had left.

"Fuck. Nobody wants a thneed." He crashed down on the ground. He pulled a blue piece of paper out of his pocket.

_I think it's great._

"If dad thinks it's great, why doesn't everyone else?" He adjusted his fedora, and took out a cigar. He knew smoking was a terrible habit, but it really took the load off. He lit it up and placed it in his mouth, his lips wrapped around the brown stick of smoke.

"I'm sorry about that."

The Once-Ler turned around to see the girl who was at the diner. He finally got to get a good look at her. She was short, maybe five feet two, she had brown wavy hair that went down past her shoulders. She wore a yellow flower in her hair, and her brown eyes looked forgiving and understanding. She had a necklace on that had a gold heart. She was wearing a sundress.

"It's fine," he replied, puffing out a grey cloud.

"No, it's not! That guy assaulted you!" She stepped onto the tiny stage. "What is that thing anyways?"

"Were you not listening to my song?" He asked, taking the cigar out of his mouth.

Her cheeks became a deep red. She didn't want to tell him that she was more focused on his smile and blue eyes than what he had to sell.

"I was, but..." She laughed. "You didn't get very much out."

He scratched the back of his neck. "I guess you're right." He looked around. "Where's the big lug who was with you? I haven't been called a queer in a while."

"Oh, Robert? He left. I'm meeting him tonight."

"I'm really sorry, but if he's your boyfriend, you're dating a real jackass." The Once-Ler grinned slightly. He had no problem with telling it like it was.

She made a straight face. "Yeah, thanks for reminding me." She looked at his cigar. "How old are you? Evidently old enough to buy cigars."

He placed it in his mouth, grinning. "Twenty-one. I'm turning twenty-two tomorrow. You look young."

"Happy birthday!" She chimed. "And I'm nineteen!" She lied. She didn't want him to know that she was just a little annoying kid.

"Oh, so do you want to sneak into a bar or something? Celebrate my birthday, perhaps?" He smiled.

"I don't know... maybe not tonight. I've got things to do."

"Right, you're hanging with your boyfriend." He looked disappointed.

"I'll tell you what," she giggled, "meet me here tomorrow and give you a gift."

"You don't know me, though." He raised an eyebrow.

"I know," she pulled out her pockets. "I have no money today." She looked down at his pink object. "How much is your... thneed?"

His face lit up, and he dropped his cigar. "You want to buy my thneed?" He threw his arms in the air. "That would be a great birthday gift!" He ran over to Melvin and unroped him. "Be sure to be here tomorrow! Don't be joking around!" He was jumping up and down like a little kid. "Hey, and think about going to the bar tomorrow! You're the only person I've met around these parts, and it would be nice to actually spend my birthday with someone for a change."

She caught up to him as he walked away. "Wait... I don't think we should go to a bar. You should celebrate your birthday some other way!" She grinned, she was trying to make an excuse to go anywhere but the bar, which she knew she would not get into. "We should have a picnic! Right outside town."

The Once-Ler felt a bit strange having an intimate picnic with a girl he barely knew, (who had a boyfriend. The Once-Ler was no two timer), but since he was starting a new life, he figured he would have to make friends some way.

"That sounds good. I'll bring marshmallows," he chimed with a chuckle.

"Awesome. And you never told me how expensive those thneeds were."

He threw it around his shoulder. "$3.95." He jumped onto the back of his cart. "See ya later..."

"Norma!"

"Awesome name!" He called out. "See ya later, Norma!"

Norma smiled and turned around to walk away. "Ouch!" She yelped. She looked down at the ground and saw the Once-Ler dropped cigar. Making sure nobody was looking, she grabbed the cigar and placed it in her mouth. She coughed a bit from the smoke she had never tasted before. Smiling smugly, she began to walk away, a puff of smoke following behind.

"No reason not to put this to good use."

_A fire brewed outside of the young Once-Ler's house. He sat on a log a safe distance away. A year had passed since he turned fifteen, and he was still waiting for his father to show up. He received another box from the old man, but it sat on another log a few feet from him. He waited to open it up, with the slight chance that his father might be there to open it with him._

_grabbing a marshmallow from the bag, and a stick from the ground, he placed the marshmallow on the stick. He placed it in the fire in an attempt to make it golden brown. _Wait 'til it smokes_ he thought to himself. Over the springtime he practiced roasting marshmallows, and he had gotten pretty good at it._

_An hour passed._

_"Dad, your gift better be good this year." The Once-Ler grabbed the box and ripped it open. "A cigar?" He lifted it out. "And, a lighter!" He laughed at his own father's ridiculousness in giving a sixteen year old a cigar. "Dear son," he read aloud, "you're even a year closer to being a grown man. And every man or classy human being knows how to smoke a cigar properly. Use this one as practice. Hopefully one day the two of us will get to smoke a few next to the camp fire, like we used to sing songs. I love you, and I'll be back soon. Dad."_

_The Once-Ler began to tear up. He was convinced that his dad was never coming back. Every year it was the same thing - "I'll see you soon." "Coming home as soon as I can." "I love you and you are worth it."_

_If he was so worth it, then why wasn't his dad there to watch him be the amazing kid he was told he was?_

_The Once-Ler started the lighter and lit the cigar. He put it in his mouth and began to cough. "This tastes like crap!" He yelled. A few bits of smoke came out of his mouth. "Hehe, cool," he said, watching the rising smoke. "Shall I try it again, Melvin?" He looked at his donkey. "If you say so!" He sucked in another cloud of grey and blew it out. He leaned back against the pile of wood._

_"Ahhhh, I could get used to you, my little friend. Hopefully one day I can share you with pop. Or at least someone who cares enough to show up for my birthday."_

_He looked up at the clear night sky, the stars twinkling bright and fierce._

_He gave a long, tired sigh._

_"Happy birthday to me."_


End file.
